Rank-and-File Union Members Are Leading Another Massive Strike. This Time It’s AT&T Workers.

The union is also fighting the spread of "authorized retailers," which are run on a non-union franchise basis and maintain notoriously poor working conditions. On the anniversary of a strike against Verizon, two workers discuss the importance of their victory and the lessons it holds for organizing in the Trump era. Antiwar authors Jeremy Scahill and Anthony Arnove analyze the record of the Obama administration on foreign policy after five months in office. Labor's Flaming Youth , page

About this Blog

Communications Workers of America CWA is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States , representing about , members in both the private and public sectors also in Canada and Puerto Rico.

CWA has several affiliated subsidiary labor unions bringing total membership to over , The current president is Chris Shelton. NFTW was a federation of sovereign local independent unions that lacked authority over the affiliated local unions leaving it at a serious organizational disadvantage. Beirne, [3] reorganized as CWA, a truly national union, which affiliated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in CWA has continued to expand into areas beyond traditional telephone service.

Following is a partial list of contracts and strikes that the Communications Workers of America were involved in: According to CWA's Department of Labor records since , when membership classifications were first reported, the total reported membership has varied greatly and unpredictably due to the addition and removal of reported membership categories. This accounts for , "non-dues-paying retirees" and 52, "dues-paying retirees", plus about 43, non-members paying agency fees, compared to , "active" members.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Redirected from Communication Workers of America. This article is about the labor union in the United States. For other uses, see Communication Workers Union. Total membership US records [11]. Report submitted August 29, Labor's Flaming Youth , page University of Illinois Press, That includes the 17, line and cable workers in California, Nevada and Connecticut and the 2, more DirecTV technicians who will also be walking picket lines over the weekend if they don't get a new contract.

Many members were unionized under "bargaining to organize" agreements with the company, which allowed for speedy representation elections. The union is demanding wage increases greater than the paltry 2 percent per year hike offered by the company--this wouldn't even make up for increases in health care costs. CWA members also want a reversal of the company's recently changed bonus and incentive pay policy for commissions, which resulted in many employees losing thousands of dollars in take-home pay each year.

The company maintains a highly punitive sick leave and time-off policy, which can lead quickly to termination for employees unless their sickness is covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The union is also fighting the spread of "authorized retailers," which are run on a non-union franchise basis and maintain notoriously poor working conditions. The closings have devastated cities and towns across the U. Across other regions, the CWA has already succeeded in making the creation of unionized call-center jobs a key part of its bargaining strategy after the seven-week Verizon strike in achieved 1, guaranteed union jobs.

As potentially the first national strike of Trump administration, it remains to be seen how the White House would respond if a walkout occurs. Given the current controversy surrounding the administration, it's possible that Trump will keep his distance. But under the Taft-Hartley Act of , sitting U.

Former President George W. Bush invoked Taft-Hartley against the West Coast longshore union in This article has been corrected in several places. Also, 17, wireline workers in California, Connecticut and Nevada struck alongside Mobility workers, along with 2, DirectTV workers who work in various states.

Union members at Verizon ratified a four-year extension of the contract won in the strike — but we had leverage to fight for more. On the anniversary of a strike against Verizon, two workers discuss the importance of their victory and the lessons it holds for organizing in the Trump era. Verizon management wanted to re-establish control over the workplace after the strike ended, but its plans backfired spectacularly. The government shutdown revealed some of the key political dynamics socialists can expect over the coming year.

A recent ruling in the case of Pennsylvania political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal has raised the long-overdue prospect of a new appeal. A health care worker returned from a border solidarity mission in Tijuana describes the conditions facing members of the caravans. The left needs to stand in defense of the Uyghur people, who are facing brutal repression at the hands of the Chinese state.